Travel Nurse Information??

[Friendly1]

Hello,

I will be graduating from nursing school this December (12/03) with my RN,BSN degree. Upon graduating, I will have two years of experience working as a Nurse Extern on an Orthopedic/Neuro unit. I am extremely interested in Travel Nursing, yet don't know where to start. With the current nursing shortage, is one year of experience still a requirement to be a Travel Nurse? Does a Nurse Externship count as experience? May I apply for a Travel Nurse position while finishing my final semester of nursing school? Do Travel Nursing agencies honor the preliminary working permit after an individual takes the boards? (Some hospitals enable individuals to work as RNs after taking their boards while awaiting the results). I GREATLY appreciate any information provided. Thanks.

:)

[NurseAmy]

Hi, I PMd you back. I would say that most travel companies will not consider your nurse extern experience and that you would need at least year of work experience after you pass your boards.

HTH

Amy

[renerian, BSN, RN]

I agree with above. Some require two years.

renerian

[Pete495]

Depending on what agency you go with, there are some travel agencies that will take you right out of college, and place you in a learning environment. Course, you usually get paid more if you have experience, because then they don't have the ability to send you where hospitals might be looking for people. There are some travel companies who send nurses into nursing fellowships, or nursing residencies to to speak. Of course, this limits your selection of where you would like to go.

I would suggest working part time at one hospital, and part time at another hospital if you're really eager to do travelling work. It's better to get a good foundation for the first year or so, and then possibly move on. It kinda looks bad on your resume if you jump around too much though right out of school. At least I think it would.

Also, visit the travelling nurses site on allnurses. It is informative.

[purplemania, BSN, RN]

A travel nurse works independently and in many various situations. You must have confidence in your abilities and know how to improvise and be flexible. I would recommend more experience first, and use that time to learn all the little pearls that seasonsed nurses can pass along. It would not be time wasted.

[live4today, RN]

Speaking of traveling nursing...........Are any of you familiar with NurseFinders as far as traveling? If so, would you recommend it?

I'm looking into traveling as a nurse again Spring of next year and would love some feedback as to what agency to go with, or the best assignments.

Thanks a lot!

[Friendly1]

Thanks for the information and the suggestions everyone. I need all the help I can get due to the vast array of options for nurses!

:)